Various dispensers are known and used to dispense fluids such as lotions, soaps and sanitizers, whether as liquid or foam. Wall-mounted dispensers are a common form of dispenser. These dispensers generally include a dispenser housing that is adapted to receive refill units that carry the product that is to be dispensed. The refill units typically include a container, such as a bag or bottle, containing the product, and a pump is associated with the container such that, upon actuation, product is advanced from the container to an outlet of the dispenser.
Countertop-mounted dispensers are also a common form of dispenser, but are structurally distinct from the wall-mounted dispensers. These dispensers generally include an outlet of the dispenser positioned above a countertop, the outlet being associated with a container (containing a product that is to be dispensed) positioned below the countertop. A pump is associated with both the above-countertop outlet and the below-countertop container, and upon actuation, product is advanced from the container to the outlet.
Wall-mounted dispensers typically include all of the components necessary for the operation of the dispenser (including the pump, the product, and the outlet) within the dispenser housing. The components in countertop-mounted dispensers, on the other hand, are physically separated by the countertop, with some of the components being above the countertop and some components being below the countertop. Another difference between wall-mounted dispensers and countertop-mounted dispensers is that the containers for wall-mounted dispensers generally do not resemble the containers that are part of the refill units used with countertop-mounted dispensers. In particular, wall-mounted dispensers often use disposable, pliable containers that conform to the volume defined inside the housing, whereas countertop-mounted dispensers typically have refillable, hard plastic containers. Additionally, the containers in the wall-mounted dispensers are typically of smaller volume than those of the countertop-mounted dispensers. Thus, the refill units are distinct for each type of dispenser, and purchasers who opt to use both wall-mounted and countertop-mounted dispensers must purchase separate and distinct refill units for each type of dispenser.
Although mention has been made of dispensers that receive refill units that provide the container of product to be dispensed and the pump for dispensing the product, it will be appreciated that the prior art also includes bulk-fill dispensers wherein the container and pump mechanisms are retained as part of the dispenser, with the container being refilled with a bulk supply with product when empty. Regardless of whether wall-mounted dispensers or counter-mounted dispensers are formed to be bulk-fill type dispensers or of a type that would receive a refill unit, it will be appreciated that these two types of dispensers are provided by very distinct structures in the prior art. That is, the inventors herein are not aware of any particular dispenser that is suitable for selectively mounting in either a counter-mounted orientation or a wall-mounted orientation as desired by the entity installing the dispenser.
Thus, a need exists in the dispenser arts for dispensers that are more versatile, being capable of use either as a wall-mounted dispenser or a countertop-mounted dispenser in accordance with the desire of the entity offering the dispenser for use. This need exists for both bulk-fill dispensers and dispensers designed to receive refill units. In dispensers employing refill units, a need also exists for dispensers that accept the same size and type of refill unit despite whether being used as a wall-mounted dispenser or counter-mounted dispenser.